AllKXA. — CEPHAXOl'YBTJS.— PBAUOOIOSSA. 161 



258. Minla igneitincta, Hodgs. The Red-tailed Minla. 



Minla ignotincta, Hodgs., Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 254 ; Hume, Rouqh 

 Draft N. % E. no. 618. 



The Red-tailed Minla, according to Mr. Hodgson's notes and 

 figures, breeds in the central region of Nepal and near Darjeeling, 

 during May and June. It builds a beautiful rather deep cup- 

 shaped nest of mosses, moss-roots, and some cow's hair, lined with 

 these two latter. The nest is placed in the fork of three or four 

 slender branches of some bushy tree, at no great elevation from 

 the ground, and is attached to one or more of the stems in which 

 it is placed by bands of moss and fibres. A nest taken on the 24th 

 May measured externally 3-28 inches in diameter and 2-25 in height ; 

 internally the cavity was 2 inches in diameter and 1*62 in depth. 

 They lay from two to four eggs, of a pale verditer-blue ground, 

 speckled and spotted pretty boldly with brownish red. An egg is 

 figured as a regular rather broad oval, measuring 0-78 by 0-55. 



On the other hand, Dr. Jerdon says : — " Its nest has been brought 

 to me, of ordinary shape, made of moss and grass, and with four 

 white eggs, with a few rusty red spots." 



260. Cephalopyrus flammiceps (Burton). The Fire-cap. 



Cephalopyrus flammiceps {Burt.), Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 267 ; Hume, 

 Rough Draft N. # E. no. 633. 



Writingfrom Murree, Colonel 0. H. T. Marshall tells us :— " On 

 the 25th May we found the nest of this species (the Fire-cap) in a 

 hole in a rotten sycamore-tree about 15 feet from the ground. The 

 nest was a neatly made cup-shaped one, formed principally of fine 

 grass. We were unfortunately too late for the eggs, as we found 

 four nearly fledged young ones, showing that these birds lay about 

 the 15th April. Elevation, 7000 feet." 



Captain Cock says : — " I found a nest in the stump of an old 

 chestnut-tree at Murree. The nest was about 13 feet from the 

 ground near the top of the stump, placed in a natural cavity : it 

 was constructed of fine grass and roots carefully woven and was 

 of a deep cup shape. It contained five fully fledged young ones. 

 The end of May was the time when I found this, and I have never 

 yet succeeded in finding another." 



261. Psaroglossa spiloptera (Vigors). The Spotted-wing. 



Saroglossa spiloptera ( Vig.~), Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 336 ; Hume, Rough 

 Draft N. §• E. no. 691. 



Personally I know nothing of the nidification of the Spotted- 

 wing. 



Captain Hutton tells us that "this species arrives in the hills 

 about the middle of April in small parties of five or six, but it does 



TOIi. i. 11 



